The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-18
JUDGE sPEER AND THE BARRACKS
LOT


Coated Letter.
Editor Morning Netos: The communica-
ton in yesterdays News from Judge Speer
reads we'll 1t is written with that fullness
of diction, and that elegance and abundance
of language for which the writer is so justly
celebrated, and which make anything from
his faoile pen such pleasant and easy read
ing To the uninformed or the thoughtleSs
| there might also appear in the letter sutti-
! cheney of argument to merit a general ac-
| quiescence in the correctness of his conclu-
sions But a little reflection will, | think,
indicate that the style of the composition is
much more finished than is its logic convlnc-
! ing.
Judge Speer writes this communication
because he helped to secure the action by the
| government, much of his life work as he
| SAYS will probably be done in the new
| building, he regards the selection as eligible,
| and because he deprecates as dangerous to
| the appropriation any controversy on the
| subject He characteriZes the opposition to
the barracks site as not only "impoltlc,
| but "indefensible.n He refers suggestively
to the deprivation of the working classes
of the opportunity of profitable employ
ment, given by the erection of new gov
eminent building Let us briefly examine
| these points.
| The words st is probable much of my
| life-work will be done in that building, if it
| is constructed, are striking, and indicate
| that the Judge makes the mistake OF sup
posing that the United States Court rooms
are the chief thing to be considered in this
matter, and that, therefore, his wishes and
views. by reason of his position and his use
OF the new building, are entitled to special
weight. Ii the expectation expressed IN
the language just quoted be we'll founded,
then it inevitably follows either that the
Judge.will not live long, or that his future life
will be distinguished by an exceptional i'm
munity from the necessities of work-con-
tingencies which it is not pleasant to CON
| template. The fact is, Mr.. Editor, that, in
all human probability there will not be any
considerable amount of work to be done in
the future in the United States Courts in
Savannah by any Judge, or in any building.
Since the act of Congress, approved on the
third of last March, limiting and restricting
the jurisdiction of the United States Cir
cult Courts, there has been very little bust
ness brought to them, and there is no pros
pect of an increase of that little
The tendency, by reason Of the
difficulty and delay of appeals, will proba-
bly, be in the other direction. Since the
date mentioned there have been, as the rec
ords show, thirteen civil cases brought in the
Circuit Court and four criminal cases; there
have been five admiralty cases filed in the
District Court and six criminal cases. Six
Of the thirteen civil cases in the Circuit
Court are equity cases, and, therefore,
heard by the Judge without jury. The
admiralty cases are also heard by the Judge
alone. Therefore, outside of the criminal
prosecutions, only seven jury cases, all
told have been brought in the United States
Court since the date mentioned, within
nearly nine months. The criminal causes
are of no special Importance or gravity; at
least six of the ten involve charges of the
violation of the internal revenue liquor laws.
The Judge himself says that 'the criminal
business of the court is exceedingly small.
There have been five removal records FLED
in the office of the Clerk of the United
States Circuit Court since the third of
March, but all of them, as an examination
will show, were presented to the State courts
before the third of March, were based and
allowed upon previous legislation, and none
of them are removable under the present act.
They constitute, therefore, a part of the
litigation which arose previous to the act,
and of the very small amount of unfinished
work on hand. Judge Speer has almost en-
| tirely cleared his docketS of old business,
and the new business, as facts hG-e stated
| show, is very small. The only objection
| ever made to the present court room accom-
| modations is the difficulty of hearing on ac-
rocks of Bay street. This difficulty is noticed
only in the large front room, where jury
| trials are conducted. There is another room
| in the building where the Judge can hear the
cases not determined by juries in which
| this noise will be inconsiderable. The
| large front room itself could be made en-
| tirely unobjectionable by the substitution
of the asphalt for the present rocky pave
ment in the front and on the side of the
custom house building. This would remove
| this difficulty entirely. But suppose neither
| the government nor the city viii remedy
| the defect from the noise in the manner in
Dictated, and the Judge is compelled to hear
ali the jury cases in the room in which the
noise comes with disturbing power, the
| practical result will probably be that he will
| not have to hear more than fifteen cases dur
ing year under this disadvantage. l take it,
so far as the present prospects indicate, that
| hereafter three weeks sitting during an
| entire year will be sufficient to try and dis
pose of all the cases, civil and criminal, of
| both courts. This being so, much of the
Judges life-work can hardly be done in the
new building, if it be constructed,
and the importance of the court
house as compared to that of the post
office is, practically, exceedingly small. The
only objection to the pr sent building can
be easily removed, and the inconvenience
| of its continuance can not be protracted
or disastrous Put the court room,
| with the very small amount of
| business side by side with the post office,
with its immense volume of business and
the contrast will be suggestive. Col. Lester,
and a large number of other contributors,
paid their money for the purchase of the
barracks site in order that il might be used
for the erection of hotel. But Tor this en-
terprise ne and others would not have ad-
vanced their money. They realized the
supreme Importance to our commu-
nifty of the successful prosecution
| of this enterprise. Compared to it
| the building of a new post Office
and a new court house was unimportant.
They understand, too, that for hotel this
site is not only perfect, but that it is the
only site that can, in all probability, be OBJ
tanned, that the fate of this enterprise,
which promises so much benefit to Savan-
nah depends upon the keeping of this site.
They believe that the hotel can and will be
built unless the site is diverted from its pur-
pose. The prospects now are excellent.
| The needs of Savannah, the eligibility of
the site and the determination of the public,
point TO the fruition of these prospects in
the near future They went into the enter
prise from public spirit, from unselfsh mo-
tives, not expecting any direct return
to themselves. They BELOVED many of them,
| when they subscribed, that they were, prae-
tically, giving their money to public en-
terprise. ] know that four years have
oIo La